The IRA are having an important meeting in which they are about to discuss the killing of a senior UDA man. They are in a dark confined room, which is filled with smoke. The camera slowly moves along, showing each of the men, before anyone speaks.
Ciaran (IRA) - Right men this is it. No backin' out now do ye hear me?
The camera then moves slowly along the men, giving the viewer a good chance to see them all. It stops on Ryan at a close-up shot and he begins to speak.
Ryan (IRA) - Of course not Mick, iv been waitin' my whole life to get one of these fenian rats.
The men all begin to look very pumped up. They look at eachother reassuringly. There is then a close-up shot of Spud and he says his line in anger.
Spud (IRA) - So have I, this fella is gonna pay for what happened in Lurgan on Saturday.
Camera Switches to UDA meeting. They are sitting in a similar room, which is dark and misty. There are a few drinks placed on the table. They are discussing the revenge killing of a Catholic due to take place that night.
Chris (UDA) - Well said there James, the only sad thing about Lurgan is that they didn't kill more of the scumbags.
The camera turns to Cricky who is looking fed up with the way the conversation is going. The camera focuses on him in an over-shoulder shot.
Cricky (UDA) - Right enough about that.. whats the plan for tonight?
Camera switches to IRA meeting. The dialogue is interlinking and the two groups are answering each others questions, showing how similar the men actually are - same morals, different beliefs. There is a close up shot on the IRA man then the camera begins to zoom out, adding a serious effect to the chilling statement he makes.
Ciaran (IRA) - We wanna take him out, but remember we are entering enemy territory tonight, so if we slip up we are dead.
The camera switches to Conor who is looking slightly worried. It is a close-up shot. He trembles his words slightly.
Conor (IRA) - I don't think its a good idea going to his home.. what if..
The camera switches back to Ciaran who is looking quite annoyed and serious! He speaks in a firm tone! Once again, this is a close-up shot.
Ciaran (IRA) - Listen Raymond, theres no time to be freakin' out, your either in or your out! Now what is it??
The camera switches back again to UDA meeting. All the men are looking at Jordan awaiting his answer. The camera glances along them briefly before focusing on him in an over shoulder shot.
Jordan (UDA) - You've known me long enough to know i wouldn't back out from anything, do you think i'm scared of the taigs?
The camera turns to Chris who is looking quite reassured. It is a mid-shot, which shows him and all the others too.
Chris (UDA) - Right thats good, just needed to make sure I have everyones word that they're going through with this. Theres too many eejits about these days saying there gonna do this and that.
The camera turns to Ryan who is nodding his head. It is a close-up shot.
Ryan (UDA) - Too right Jackie, all talk no action.
The camera switches to IRA meeting. The camera is focused on Spud as he nervously asks a question. It is a close-up shot.
Spud (IRA) - This may sound like a stupid question but.. whos gonna pull the trigger?
The camera then switches swiftly to Ciaran, who does not look amused at the 'stupid question'. It is a mid-shot which slowly zooms into a close-up throughout the line.
Ciaran (IRA) - Your right, it is a stupid question, whoever needs to, when the opportunity arrives.. take it. Hopefully its me though (laughs).
The camera switches again to UDA meeting. They are all laughing. The camera focuses on Cricky as he says his line. It is an over-shoulder shot.
Cricky (UDA) - Id be more than happy to pull the trigger on one of them vermin scum.
The camera turns to Chris who has stopped laughing and has a serious look on his face. It is a close-up shot of him. The smoke of a cigarette is blowing infront of the camera.
Chris (UDA) - Lets not get carried away.. we have a job to do!
The camera slowly glances among the men which shows them sitting up straight, and wiping away their laughter as they become serious. It then stops at Jordan who begins to speak, this is a mid-shot.
Jordan (UDA) - If we are sticking to the plan then the attack is supposed to be carried out in just over an hour. So we may get the show on the road.
The camera switches to IRA meeting. They are all looking very pumped up. They begin to finish their drinks. There is a medium shot which zooms into a close-up when Ryan begins to speak.
Ryan (IRA) - Happy days! Im ready when you are, lets do this!!
The camera turns to Ciaran. It is a medium shot and he is looking round the table at all the men. He then begins to look at each man as he tells them their role. He speaks firmly and confidently throughout.
Ciaran (IRA) - Right we've been through it before but just so yous are all sure.. Paddy your behind the wheel tonight, Raymond and Sandsy will be keepin' dick on each side of the house.. and me and Marty will break in and shoot him dead. But listen fellas, if anything was to kick off or something goes wrong, don't hesitate to shoot. Its either kill or be killed in these circumstances.
The camera turns to Campbell who is nodding his head in agreement with Ciaran. It is an over-shoulder shot.
Campbell (IRA) - Micks right, ya' can't take no chances.
The camera switches to UDA meeting. Chris is talking very confidently with a serious tone, showing his authority. It is a close-up shot which zooms out slowly.
Chris (UDA) - Yes, just be careful though, and no women or kids. The UDAs under enough scrutiny at the minute.
The camera turns to Cricky who looks at Chris then to the rest of the men. It is an over-shoulder shot. He speaks in a serious tone.
Cricky (UDA) - You have our word Jackie. No women or kids.
The camera switches back to IRA meeting. Ciaran is now speaking quicker, in a more ecstatic tone. It is a medium shot. He finishes his drink then slams it down on the table.
Ciaran (IRA) - Right in that case, we are ready to go. Sandsy get four handguns and one automatic from the stash and bring them to the car.
Campbell (playing Sandsy) gets up to walk out then stops and says his line. It is a medium shot which begins to zoom into a close-up. He sounds quite sentimental and almost like he is having second thoughts about it.
Campbell (IRA) - Alright will do. I just hope this cause we're fightin' for is worth it.
The camera switches back to UDA meeting. There is a close-up shot of Chris. He puts out a cigarette then begins to speak. He once again speaks in a firm confident tone to raise the moods in the room.
Chris (UDA) - Nows not the time to get sentimental. Keep your head screwed on would ye... right its time, lets go.
The camera for the final time switches back to IRA meeting. There is a close-up shot of Ciaran who looks at Paddy and nods. He seems quite excitement but also nervous as they are about to embark on their task.
Ciaran (IRA) - Your right Paddy we don't wanna be late. Lets go boys. Oh and remember, shoot to kill. Leave no casualties, casualties are witnesses, and witnesses are jail sentences.
Members of the two groups get up and begin to change into paramilitary gear - they put on balaclavas, army jackets/black coats, and gloves. They then exit the room.
Thursday 14 February 2013
Cast
There will be around six people acting in our project. Three members of each paramilitary group. The IRA scene will be shot in Casement Park on the 20th of March 2013, while the UDA scene will be shot on the 12th of April 2013 at a location in South Belfast.
Cast:
-Ciaran McCourt - IRA Commander
-Sean Campbell - IRA
-Spud McAllister - IRA
-Chris McIlvenny - UDA Commander
-Christopher McLarnon - UDA
-Dan O'Hanlon - UDA
Cast:
-Ciaran McCourt - IRA Commander
-Sean Campbell - IRA
-Spud McAllister - IRA
-Chris McIlvenny - UDA Commander
-Christopher McLarnon - UDA
-Dan O'Hanlon - UDA
Thursday 7 February 2013
Planning
Plot:
Our film is set in 1976, in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It follows the story of two families from different communities who lose loved ones in two separate sectarian attacks. These families are affected negatively by these events and become bitter against the other communities. Although these families are very different, in their culture and their way of life, they are very similar in the way they feel about the people of different religions who live in Northern Ireland. The brothers of the two dead men who were attacked, meet in an unusual situation after both leaving Belfast to find a better life for themselves in New York. They end up getting jobs together in a bar and become good friends before finding out they are from separate communities. They begin talking about their past and realise they were both affected by their brothers' killings on the same day, they realise that their history with Nothern Ireland could help reshape the future of it.
Location:
For the IRA meeting we thought the best location would be an old empty irish pub. We could film in casement social club because its decor and atmosphere that would be perfect for what we want for our movie. We also wanted a pub that wasn't modern in anyway, and looked like it was from our time period, which Casement is perfect for.
For the UDA meeting we had an idea to just film this scene in a street alleyway or at the outside of an old building as this would contrast completely with the other meeting, this is our aim. When filming we need to make sure no modern cars are in the shot because this would ruin our continuity of the film.
We will then film shots of murals around Belfast, with an equal amount from each side. We plan to get these shots from the Falls Road and Shankill Road as there is a lot of choice here.
Costume:
With costume we want all of our actors to wear clothes that represent both their low social class and their communities. To do this we want realistic old clothes to give a believable feel to our film. This would include very simple costumes with leather jackets, jumpers, white shirts and jeans.
Mise en Scene:
Our mise en scene and props should be realistic and create a believable scene for the audience. The props we need are just guns, but if these do not look genuine our film won't get the audience response we are aiming for.
Lighting:
For the lighting of our film, we want a very dark and misty look. Using only natural or available light we can get this look on the film and this will give a realistic sense of the scene. Also as we are working on a very limited budget, using natural light is the ideal thing.
Wednesday 6 February 2013
Audience Expectations - Our Project
When deciding to do our project around 'The Troubles' we took the audience into consideration a lot. This is because it is a very raw topic here in Northern Ireland so we needed to make sure that we portrayed the story realistically, otherwise the audience would find it very disappointing. This led us to do immense research and background work in order to make the most authentic film possible, which would hopefully meet the audiences needs and wants.
We hope that they will have a positive reaction to it, although also leaving them with a sense of sadness and regret that this kind of thing actually happened. We also hope that they are happy with how we portrayed both sides of the community as we have made sure we were not one sided at all, and did not glorify any particular group. The audience should feel extremely drawn in while watching the clip, and we have worked hard on storyline and script to ensure we hold their attention the whole time. This is also important as we need their full focus in order to get a real idea of what is going on.
We hope that they will have a positive reaction to it, although also leaving them with a sense of sadness and regret that this kind of thing actually happened. We also hope that they are happy with how we portrayed both sides of the community as we have made sure we were not one sided at all, and did not glorify any particular group. The audience should feel extremely drawn in while watching the clip, and we have worked hard on storyline and script to ensure we hold their attention the whole time. This is also important as we need their full focus in order to get a real idea of what is going on.
Research Five
Another film I found during my research was 'The Devils Own' which is about an IRA gunman who draws an American family into the crossfire of terrorism. I found the opening scene of it very interesting in-particular, and also extremely useful to our project. It starts with two IRA men being tipped off that there is a suspicious car outside the house, in which there are three loyalist paramilitaries in. They begin to get ready for an attack, and quickly go to their gun stash where they take machine guns out and a balaclava. The main IRA man, played by Brad Pitt, then gives a quick briefing on what they will do before positioning themselves in preparation for the attack. Once the loyalists enter there is a huge gun fight, which results in the army arriving at the scene and meeting the same fate as the loyalists. This helped us to get an idea of how an attack would have been carried out and the hatred these two sides of the community had for each other. It also helped us to establish how carefully an attack on the 'enemy' must be planned, because if not it could result in the operation going wrong and the men being shot dead, which is what happened in this case. When writing our script we took this into account to ensure we made a realistic dialogue when planning the attack on each other (two rival paramilitaries). It also gave us the idea that we should include a back-up plan in the script, which is probably what the commanders would have done, incase the operation doesn't go to plan.
Music was used extremely effectively in this clip to build up suspense and danger. It begins with the sound of children playing in the street, and cars driving past. This gives the neighbourhood a normal, safe atmosphere. However, once the young boy sees the car, which is clearly suspicious and is filled with loyalists, intense and frightful music kicks in, letting the viewer automatically know there is danger on the way. As the IRA men then begin to prepare, a song comes on which is very Irish sounding, reminding the viewer of the mens' background and culture. The song choice was very smart as the lyrics say 'they tried to take my pride, but they only took my father from me', which is relevant because the main character got involved in the conflict due to seeing his father gunned down in front of him as a child. The music builds up gradually and suddenly becomes very upbeat as the gunfire begins, which symbolises the intensity of the situation.
Mise en Scene is very realistic in this movie as it portrays the time period very well. Costumes are extremely believable, and it helps when watching the movie in order to become drawn in. The IRA men are dressed very casually at the start before they hear of the warning, all wearing coats or leather jackets, which would have been very common at the time. However, once they hear there is a possible attack on its way, they all put on balaclavas and cover their faces. This is realistic as most paramilitaries wore these in order to hide their identity, but also to arguably strike fear into their victims. Props are also very realistic. There is a lot of boarded up shops, which would have been common due to the violence at the time, and also because of extortion from paramilitaries. There are also a lot of cars from the early 1990s which is when the movie is based, making the set very believable. There is also a burnt out car beside where the children are playing, which is very momentous because it would have been extremely common to see this during the troubles, due to the constant rioting which usually resulted in a car being stolen and burnt.
The target audience for this film would be people worldwide who are interested in the irish troubles and want to know what type of people are involved in it. It would also target people who would like to see what drives people from both sides to engage themselves in the violence, often it is revenge, which relates directly to our project as we plan to base it on revenge killings. Audience expectations would be to get a good insight into the violence-ridden northern ireland, and hopefully to understand if not sympathise with, why some people become involved in such a violent campaign. The type of movie I would imagine would distribute this type of film would be a large American production company, because it was a big movie, which had an extremely large budget, as well as some huge stars such as Brad Pitt and Harrison Ford.
Music was used extremely effectively in this clip to build up suspense and danger. It begins with the sound of children playing in the street, and cars driving past. This gives the neighbourhood a normal, safe atmosphere. However, once the young boy sees the car, which is clearly suspicious and is filled with loyalists, intense and frightful music kicks in, letting the viewer automatically know there is danger on the way. As the IRA men then begin to prepare, a song comes on which is very Irish sounding, reminding the viewer of the mens' background and culture. The song choice was very smart as the lyrics say 'they tried to take my pride, but they only took my father from me', which is relevant because the main character got involved in the conflict due to seeing his father gunned down in front of him as a child. The music builds up gradually and suddenly becomes very upbeat as the gunfire begins, which symbolises the intensity of the situation.
Mise en Scene is very realistic in this movie as it portrays the time period very well. Costumes are extremely believable, and it helps when watching the movie in order to become drawn in. The IRA men are dressed very casually at the start before they hear of the warning, all wearing coats or leather jackets, which would have been very common at the time. However, once they hear there is a possible attack on its way, they all put on balaclavas and cover their faces. This is realistic as most paramilitaries wore these in order to hide their identity, but also to arguably strike fear into their victims. Props are also very realistic. There is a lot of boarded up shops, which would have been common due to the violence at the time, and also because of extortion from paramilitaries. There are also a lot of cars from the early 1990s which is when the movie is based, making the set very believable. There is also a burnt out car beside where the children are playing, which is very momentous because it would have been extremely common to see this during the troubles, due to the constant rioting which usually resulted in a car being stolen and burnt.
The target audience for this film would be people worldwide who are interested in the irish troubles and want to know what type of people are involved in it. It would also target people who would like to see what drives people from both sides to engage themselves in the violence, often it is revenge, which relates directly to our project as we plan to base it on revenge killings. Audience expectations would be to get a good insight into the violence-ridden northern ireland, and hopefully to understand if not sympathise with, why some people become involved in such a violent campaign. The type of movie I would imagine would distribute this type of film would be a large American production company, because it was a big movie, which had an extremely large budget, as well as some huge stars such as Brad Pitt and Harrison Ford.
Research Four
Here is another clip we found while researching, it is out of the movie 'The Crying Game'. It is a scene in which the PIRA have captured a british soldier. It takes place at 0:06:00 in this video. They are explaining to him his fate if the british army do not release a senior IRA member from questioning. This makes him a hostage, in which, he knows it is more than likely he will be killed. This clip in particular give us a great insight into how the IRA would have addressed themselves around outsiders, which was important to keep in mind when writing the script for our project. It gave us an idea how paramilitaries would have spoke and the threats they would have used to 'enemies' in their possession.
The target audience for this film would be late teens to early fifties as it this group of people who would have most interest in a storyline of this nature. Another reason this would have been the target audience is because the majority of people involved in The Troubles would have been of this age, therefore they would have found it especially intriguing. The audience expectation of this movie is that they would learn about the brutality of paramilitaries in Northern Ireland. It would also highlight to them the deep hatred that they had for each other, but mainly the IRA's hatred for the british soldiers and the 'take no prisoners' policy they obeyed by.
Music is only used at two parts of the film. Once at the start when the camera is focused on a theme park. Happy cheerful music is played here as the camera slowly makes its way across the water and closer to the theme park. The song playing is 'when a man loves a woman' which is very relevant as it blends in to the start of the movie which shows one of the main characters hand in hand with a woman who he clearly is creating a deep affection for. Music is then used once more later on in the movie, as another of the main characters is tied up on a bed while a woman holds a gun to him. The music here is obviously very different and is a lot more tense. It alerts the viewer than the man is in a dangerous situation, which could potentially lead to his death.
Mise En Scene is very effective in the scene I have mentioned as the costumes are very different to what many people would have imagined the IRA to have. None of them are wearing balaclavas, masks, or camouflage gear, instead they are all dressed in normal clothes. This very much humanises them, and reminds the viewer that the people who carried out these horrific acts, were just normal everyday people. The soldier which they capture is also dressed in normal clothes, which has the same effect in that it reminds the viewer behind the uniforms the soldiers are just normal human beings like everyone else. The props and set are very realistic which helped in capturing the viewer and making the scene seem as authentic as possible. They are in a dark barn in the middle of nowhere, which is very likely to be similar to the type of place that hundreds of captured British soldiers were murdered.
The type of company I would imagine would make this film is a large multinational company, and the reason for this is that it would have cost quite a lot to make and also had a number of big actors, including Forest Whitaker.
The target audience for this film would be late teens to early fifties as it this group of people who would have most interest in a storyline of this nature. Another reason this would have been the target audience is because the majority of people involved in The Troubles would have been of this age, therefore they would have found it especially intriguing. The audience expectation of this movie is that they would learn about the brutality of paramilitaries in Northern Ireland. It would also highlight to them the deep hatred that they had for each other, but mainly the IRA's hatred for the british soldiers and the 'take no prisoners' policy they obeyed by.
Music is only used at two parts of the film. Once at the start when the camera is focused on a theme park. Happy cheerful music is played here as the camera slowly makes its way across the water and closer to the theme park. The song playing is 'when a man loves a woman' which is very relevant as it blends in to the start of the movie which shows one of the main characters hand in hand with a woman who he clearly is creating a deep affection for. Music is then used once more later on in the movie, as another of the main characters is tied up on a bed while a woman holds a gun to him. The music here is obviously very different and is a lot more tense. It alerts the viewer than the man is in a dangerous situation, which could potentially lead to his death.
Mise En Scene is very effective in the scene I have mentioned as the costumes are very different to what many people would have imagined the IRA to have. None of them are wearing balaclavas, masks, or camouflage gear, instead they are all dressed in normal clothes. This very much humanises them, and reminds the viewer that the people who carried out these horrific acts, were just normal everyday people. The soldier which they capture is also dressed in normal clothes, which has the same effect in that it reminds the viewer behind the uniforms the soldiers are just normal human beings like everyone else. The props and set are very realistic which helped in capturing the viewer and making the scene seem as authentic as possible. They are in a dark barn in the middle of nowhere, which is very likely to be similar to the type of place that hundreds of captured British soldiers were murdered.
The type of company I would imagine would make this film is a large multinational company, and the reason for this is that it would have cost quite a lot to make and also had a number of big actors, including Forest Whitaker.
Research Three
Here is another clip which is from the movie 'The Wind That Shakes The Barley' about the IRA's struggle for independence in 1916-1921. At one point in the movie the IRA are having an internal meeting discussing their future. Some of the men want to agree to a treaty to keep 26 counties, while others want to fight on for the independence of the whole country. While the first half want the armed struggle to end, the latter half want to step up their campaign of violence and will not compromise until they have freed all of Ireland. This was a great insight into an IRA meeting which let us see the mindset of the members, and the commitment they had to the cause. This also helped us see the lengths they were prepared to go to get their message across, much like the later troubles which our project is based on.
Although this clip only shows a small part of the meeting since it is the trailer, I have watched the film many times which is the reason for my great knowledge of it. Another part of the movie that we found useful was when Damien, who is the main character, is making his allegiance to the IRA. This happens at the start of this video, and was very helpful to see the depth of commitment some men would go to in order to protect their heritage and culture.
Music is played throughout this video and changed dramatically depending on what was going on. At the start when Damien is signing up to the IRA and making his allegiance, inspirational and extremely irish sounding music is played. This is in order to show irish romanticism and almost preserve these men, who took the pledge, as heroes for fighting for their people. The music then starts to become more upbeat and tense as it shows the men training and getting ready for a war with the british army. This is to build up suspence. The music then starts to become increasingly upbeat with a dangerous sound to it, just as the footage starts to show the war kicking off, and the savage killings which take place. Once again, the music slows down and becomes very romantic as it shows Damien talking to his girlfriend which symbolises their love for eachother. By the end of the trailer, the music has become sad and depressing as Damien whispers the ironic statement 'I tried not to get into this war and did, and now i try and get out and cant.'
Movie titles were used effectively in this clip also as they capture the audience with chilling information and statements. This is something that we would like to do in our project. All the titles are in white bold writing on a black background which makes it even more striking to the viewers. The first title is 'War Has Cost Them Their Innocence' which is a very sad but true statement in every case of war, and is linked heavily to the many people who fought in the troubles. The second title says 'Freedom Will Cost Them Their Blood' which is very much also the same case as the many people who lost their lives fighting for their communities in the troubles. One last title is used at the end, saying the movie title, 'The Wind That Shakes The Barley'. The three main words 'Wind', 'Shakes' and 'Barley' are all in larger font in order to make them stand out and then the whole line is underlined. This helped us when deciding how we should emphasis our movie's name in the clip which we are creating.
Mise En Scene is very simple but cogent in the film. They are all dressed in old 1920s clothes, most wearing big coats, ruffled jackets and hats. The set is all very realistic too, which is most likely because it was filmed in very rural parts of Ireland which haven't changed much and lack modern facilities. This made the film extremely convincing to watch. We want to try and make our film as believable as this, and although our project is set in a different time period, we can still learn a lot from this clip in order to make it as authentic as physically possible.
The target audience of this clip would be people who have an interest in Irish history, the Irish Rising and the conflict in general here in Ireland. The main purpose of this film would not be to glamorise the IRA, but to try and give the viewer an understanding of why they did what they did, and what drove them to the extreme actions they took. The audience expectations of this film would be to get an insight into Irish history, and the 1916 rising in particular. They would expect to have a broader knowledge of the IRA, and see how they were able to take on the British army and free 26 counties from their empire.
Although this clip only shows a small part of the meeting since it is the trailer, I have watched the film many times which is the reason for my great knowledge of it. Another part of the movie that we found useful was when Damien, who is the main character, is making his allegiance to the IRA. This happens at the start of this video, and was very helpful to see the depth of commitment some men would go to in order to protect their heritage and culture.
Music is played throughout this video and changed dramatically depending on what was going on. At the start when Damien is signing up to the IRA and making his allegiance, inspirational and extremely irish sounding music is played. This is in order to show irish romanticism and almost preserve these men, who took the pledge, as heroes for fighting for their people. The music then starts to become more upbeat and tense as it shows the men training and getting ready for a war with the british army. This is to build up suspence. The music then starts to become increasingly upbeat with a dangerous sound to it, just as the footage starts to show the war kicking off, and the savage killings which take place. Once again, the music slows down and becomes very romantic as it shows Damien talking to his girlfriend which symbolises their love for eachother. By the end of the trailer, the music has become sad and depressing as Damien whispers the ironic statement 'I tried not to get into this war and did, and now i try and get out and cant.'
Movie titles were used effectively in this clip also as they capture the audience with chilling information and statements. This is something that we would like to do in our project. All the titles are in white bold writing on a black background which makes it even more striking to the viewers. The first title is 'War Has Cost Them Their Innocence' which is a very sad but true statement in every case of war, and is linked heavily to the many people who fought in the troubles. The second title says 'Freedom Will Cost Them Their Blood' which is very much also the same case as the many people who lost their lives fighting for their communities in the troubles. One last title is used at the end, saying the movie title, 'The Wind That Shakes The Barley'. The three main words 'Wind', 'Shakes' and 'Barley' are all in larger font in order to make them stand out and then the whole line is underlined. This helped us when deciding how we should emphasis our movie's name in the clip which we are creating.
Mise En Scene is very simple but cogent in the film. They are all dressed in old 1920s clothes, most wearing big coats, ruffled jackets and hats. The set is all very realistic too, which is most likely because it was filmed in very rural parts of Ireland which haven't changed much and lack modern facilities. This made the film extremely convincing to watch. We want to try and make our film as believable as this, and although our project is set in a different time period, we can still learn a lot from this clip in order to make it as authentic as physically possible.
The target audience of this clip would be people who have an interest in Irish history, the Irish Rising and the conflict in general here in Ireland. The main purpose of this film would not be to glamorise the IRA, but to try and give the viewer an understanding of why they did what they did, and what drove them to the extreme actions they took. The audience expectations of this film would be to get an insight into Irish history, and the 1916 rising in particular. They would expect to have a broader knowledge of the IRA, and see how they were able to take on the British army and free 26 counties from their empire.
Research Two
Here is another clip from a film called 'Some Mothers Son' which is directed by Jim Sheridan and based around the conflict in Northern Ireland. It was extremely useful as it gave me a good understanding of the way paramilitaries would have operated and planned attacks. One scene in particular which was great for this was at 5:15 when the IRA are discussing a revenge attack on the British. This linked heavily with our project since we have decided to base it around revenge attacks which were commonly known as 'tit for tat killings'. One of the men question whether it is a good idea to go through with it or not, which gave me the idea to use a similar scenario in our film as I believe many of the people involved in these attacks would not have necessarily believed it was the right thing to do, but done it anyway out of pressure or fear.
The target audience for this clip would be people in their early thirties to sixties as I believe people in this age bracket would appreciate this kind of film. The reason for this is that the movie is quite an eye opener, and very deep as it shows people that the families of the murdered are also victims of the conflict, and not just the people who die, therefore I imagine it may not be suitable for younger viewers. The audience expectation of this movie would be that they would learn about the conflict and the hunger strike. I believe they would want to get a greater understanding of why the hunger-strike took place, but most importantly to see how the families of the hunger-strikers and families of the British soldiers victims coped with their deaths. The viewer would also expect to see the sort of things which would have happened in order to lead to a revenge attack, which this movie is great at showing.
Music is used throughout the movie, and is used at two parts during this clip which were both very effective. First, it is used near the beginning, when the boat is making its way to the harbour. Drums and tin whistle can be heard, which is traditionally Irish music. This is effective as the music is quite relaxing and the boat is floating along the water which is also quite a relaxing site, but mostly because the music being Irish coincides with the fact that the person on the boat is an IRA man. Music is then used again later on near the end of this clip. It is used here for a totally different purpose but is equally as effective. The music is very upbeat with a feeling of danger being evoked from it. This does a great job of building up suspense as it plays while the IRA men make their way to the attack. It makes the audience feel quite on edge which is what the producer would have wanted.
Mise En Scene is also very effective and realistic in this clip as props and set look like they are from the late 70s to early 80s which is when the film is set. The cars and buildings all look quite old, and they used real army jeeps which was extremely useful in adding to the authenticity. The costumes were also very impressive, as they were exactly the type of clothes people would have wore at the time. The IRA men wore big trench coats and cotton jumpers which were in fashion at the time and had scarves over their faces which were commonly used when carrying out attacks and lived up to the stereotype of them being 'masked murderers'. The british soldiers wore authentic uniforms which made them very believable, they also carried large guns which looked very real and showed their authority in the streets of Northern Ireland.
The type of company I would imagine to distribute this movie would be a large Irish based company as the movie itself is very close to home and I think that it would mainly target people from here due to the nature of it, and therefore it is here where it is likely to be most successful.
The target audience for this clip would be people in their early thirties to sixties as I believe people in this age bracket would appreciate this kind of film. The reason for this is that the movie is quite an eye opener, and very deep as it shows people that the families of the murdered are also victims of the conflict, and not just the people who die, therefore I imagine it may not be suitable for younger viewers. The audience expectation of this movie would be that they would learn about the conflict and the hunger strike. I believe they would want to get a greater understanding of why the hunger-strike took place, but most importantly to see how the families of the hunger-strikers and families of the British soldiers victims coped with their deaths. The viewer would also expect to see the sort of things which would have happened in order to lead to a revenge attack, which this movie is great at showing.
Music is used throughout the movie, and is used at two parts during this clip which were both very effective. First, it is used near the beginning, when the boat is making its way to the harbour. Drums and tin whistle can be heard, which is traditionally Irish music. This is effective as the music is quite relaxing and the boat is floating along the water which is also quite a relaxing site, but mostly because the music being Irish coincides with the fact that the person on the boat is an IRA man. Music is then used again later on near the end of this clip. It is used here for a totally different purpose but is equally as effective. The music is very upbeat with a feeling of danger being evoked from it. This does a great job of building up suspense as it plays while the IRA men make their way to the attack. It makes the audience feel quite on edge which is what the producer would have wanted.
Mise En Scene is also very effective and realistic in this clip as props and set look like they are from the late 70s to early 80s which is when the film is set. The cars and buildings all look quite old, and they used real army jeeps which was extremely useful in adding to the authenticity. The costumes were also very impressive, as they were exactly the type of clothes people would have wore at the time. The IRA men wore big trench coats and cotton jumpers which were in fashion at the time and had scarves over their faces which were commonly used when carrying out attacks and lived up to the stereotype of them being 'masked murderers'. The british soldiers wore authentic uniforms which made them very believable, they also carried large guns which looked very real and showed their authority in the streets of Northern Ireland.
The type of company I would imagine to distribute this movie would be a large Irish based company as the movie itself is very close to home and I think that it would mainly target people from here due to the nature of it, and therefore it is here where it is likely to be most successful.
Research One
After discussing our options and doing some research, we have decided to make a serious drama revolving around the recent 'troubles' in Northern Ireland. We feel it is something we could portray effectively in order to capture the audience as we have a great range of locations to use and also a broad knowledge of the subject. We want the audience to feel like they are revisiting those dark times, and hopefully give an accurate insight into how things would have worked within the higher powers of the paramilitary groups, namely the PIRA and the UDA.
We have watched through many videos, interviews and films in order to get an idea of how operations would have been planned out. We wanted to see what background work went into a pre-meditated attack to therefore make our project as authentic as possible. We came across many clips which we believed would help us identify this, and that give us the best possible insight.
Here is a video of the IRA speaking which helped us to understand how this paramilitary would have worked and the type of weapons they would have used. Once again, this was just to help us make the project as realistic as possible.
Music is used in this video in order to build up suspense. The IRA men make their way through the woods holding guns while tense upbeat music is played which is very effective. This is something that we would like to incorporate into our project in order to grab the attention of the viewer straight away and entice them into the storyline. The music in this clip was also effective in the way that it created an atmosphere before the speaker began to actually talk.
Many different shot types are used while filming the men which shows them at different angles shooting targets. This was to show the men in training and also to give the viewer a closer look at the weapons from each angle. When the man begins to speak the camera slowly moves up his body which also is very effective in building suspense as it lets the viewers hear him before they actually see him, it also lets them see his full outfit.
They are all dressed in combat gear and balaclavas, with the speaker wearing sunglasses, a scarf and a beret. This is also extremely effective as it shows the IRA as most people would imagine them, therefore helps fulfils the viewers imagination and imagery of the deadly group. The fact that the speaker is dressed differently to the other men gives him a sense of authority and lets the viewer know that he is in command. All their faces are covered which is to protect them from the law, and avoid them being arrested for being involved in a criminal organisation, this is something that we will bear in mind in our project.
The target audience of this clip would be people who have an interest in the IRA and who want to know what they are about. The main purpose of this would be propaganda, which is why they speak very differently of themselves than the british army would when releasing statements. It was made in the hope to attract new members, while also sending a threatening message to their targets/enemies. The audience expectations of this video would be to get an insight into the IRA and the reason for their extreme use of violence in order to achieve their goals. It would be very educational for the audience. Another audience expectation from the IRA's point of view would be to draw in new members, and also to strike fear into the British. The type of company that would distribute this film would be a documentary film production company.
Preliminary Script - Behind Closed Doors
The first shot is and close up of Francis with a towel over his face. It appears wet and he seems to be trembling, his breath is visible through the dampness of the towel. He is quickly hit out of the shot, it cuts to a mid shot from behind two men on either side of the him who roughly hold and push him down the corridor. His shouting is heard.
Francis - I've done nothing! You can't keep me here!
The shot is then cut to a close up to the three men's feet as they walk along the corridor to the interrogation room. This is a low angle shot that shows the two men on the outside of Francis walking purposefully and francis' feet dragging on the ground.
The men then bring Francis into the interrogation room. They force him to sit down on a seat, and they remove the towel from his head.
The shot is then cut to a point of view shot that shows a man facing Francis. The shot is blurred and the light shines along the shot, the image of the man is unclear for Francis.
The shot then cuts to an over the shoulder shot showing Francis with him sitting back on his seat coolly.
Francis - Why am I here?
The interrogator laughs and opens a file. The shot cuts to another over the shoulder shot that shows the interrogator smiling and looking at his file. He closes the file and slides it across the table to Francis.
Interrogator - Francis Murphy. You have been arrested and held for the killing of 14 innocent people, and for the attempted murder of two superintendents from Yorkshire Police Station. But I'm sure you already know that.
The shot shows Francis, he is sitting up in his seat, he pushes the file away from him and folds his arms.
Francis - Look I'm innocent, I'm just a normal man, I work in a bakery, I have three kids. Do you really think I would get involved in this?
Francis looks around the room not showing any feeling. The shot cuts to the Interrogator, his hands together and his head nodding.
Interrogator - Listen to me you Irish scum, I know you made the bombs, you know you did. Sarah Brightman. Jane Webb. John McStravick. Terry Hughes. Eric Taylor. Michael Morrison. Peter Kelly. Do you want me to continue?
The shot is cut to Francis, still emotionless. He is sitting back in his chair.
Francis - This is madness. You can't hold me here, I've done nothing wrong. I mean like, what proof do you have?
There is an over the shoulder shot, showing the interrogator looking smug.
Interrogator - Oh Francis, don't you worry about that. We have everything we need to make sure you never see the light of day again. Inside prison walls for the rest of your little scummy life, how does that sound?
It cuts to Francis, pointing at the Interrogator.
Francis - And if that's the case officer, you've just signed your death warrant.
The shot cuts to the Interrogator. He is sitting up in his chair with both his hands on the table.
Interrogator - Is that right? Cause i thought id already signed it. After all, you did try to blow my car to pieces earlier.
The shot is zoomed on Francis.
Francis - That was you? Your this Officer Barkley I've heard so much about?
The shot cuts to a close up on the Interrogator.
Interrogator - That would be me.
The shot is a wide shot that shows the two men facing each other.
Francis - Well next time I'll make sure its done right.
The shot cuts to a mid shot of the Interrogator.
Interrogator - (Laughing) You Irish rats are all the same, always making empty threats. Well guess what Francis? You don't scare me, cause i know what you are. You're nothing, nothing but a cowardly little bastard.
The shot cut to a mid shot of Francis, but as he talks the shot zooms until it is a close up.
Francis - Your people will now realise that Britain cannot occupy our country and torture our prisoners and shoot our people on their own streets and get away with it. Today I was unlucky, but remember we only have to be lucky once. You will have to be lucky always. Give Ireland peace and there will be no more war.
The Interrogator stands up, the shot is cut to a mid shot of him.
Interrogator - That's all I needed to hear.
He walks out and the two men who brought Francis into the room enter. One locks the door and the other rolls up his sleeves. The shot is blurred as the men begin to beat Francis.
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